Google has recently announced that they will be working on a new gadget that they call project Ara. Project Ara is a new customizable phone that implements plate replacement. The new phone can be completely reinvented at your own whim. The device starts as a frame and from there will be given lego-like parts to customize the layout to the user’s personal preference. For example the administrator of the device can take the plate containing the camera, and replace it with one containing a battery as to extend the life of his phone.
The newest development in this ever-changing task is that the plates will be crafted using the revolutionary 3-D printer. The reason that this is getting so much publicity is because this will be the biggest project that the pristine printer has taken on. With the creation of the plates using the new medium, it will bring new popularity that couldn’t have been achieved any other way. This will not only be good business for Google, but also for the 3-D printing industry. With this new project, it will be only a matter of time until other companies follow in their footsteps and commence using the new printer to make their device components also.
(Image Source: iCLIPART)